Purely normal day sailing – In this video, you’ll experience a day sailing – our first sailing adventure after a two-year hiatus, marked by pandemic restrictions. The journey to the sea was picturesque as we crossed three different Slovenian landscapes. The reunion with Catamaran Ariki brought about emotional moments.
The video also features scenes of cleaning the catamaran and preparing for sailing, emphasizing the importance of precise boat preparation. Despite the challenge of low winds, we relished every moment aboard the sailboat, especially savoring lunch on deck in the middle of the vast sea.
This sailing documentary provides insights into simple living on the sea, showcasing adventure and expressing a love for sailing and life on board. Perfect for sailing enthusiasts, travel documentary lovers, and those who appreciate a straightforward way of life.
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Way to the sea
When you open your eyes in the early morning and the sun greets you through the window from a beautiful blue sky, you wish you could go on a trip. There were many such mornings in the last year and a half, but we weren’t allowed to go anywhere. It’s different today. There are no more movement restrictions for several days.
But let me start at the beginning. In 2020, the world stopped and changed. Our life has also changed. People stayed home that year. Tourism has stopped, and the sales points where our books about Slovenia are sold have closed. We were left with no income. That’s why we had to find our way and take on every job. If your pocket is empty, you first give up expenses that are not absolutely necessary.
It so happened that we only visited our catamaran twice that year, and we spent only one night on it.
It was at the end of May, when we spent two days repairing the damaged wooden pier on which the catamaran is moored. The second time we went to the sea just before the New Year because one of the mooring lines broke. Then came the second lockdown. We were closed for almost half a year, until the summer of 2021.
That is why today’s journey towards the sea is something special. We haven’t driven so far, so freely and so carefree in a long time. We were surprised by very heavy freight traffic on the highway. There are few private cars on the road. Domestic trucks are also rare. Foreigners dominate: Hungarian, Polish, Romanian, Serbian, Ukrainian and others. The main transit from Italy to the east and south takes place along this road, which we take towards the sea.
From our home in the mountains in the northwestern part of Slovenia to the Channel of st. Jernej near Piran salt flats, where our Ariki is moored, is 170 km away. It takes an hour and a half to 2 hours for the journey. It just depends on how heavy the traffic is.
Slovenian Province
The Slovenian landscape is anything but monotonous. The first part of the route runs along the Ljubljana Basin, the largest flat area in Slovenia. From there, near Vrhnika, it climbs between the inner hills. This is an inland landscape with a different architecture than what we are used to in the Ljubljana Basin. Under the surface, underground rivers flow, which periodically appear on the surface and quickly sink underground again. We made a special video about this karst phenomenon and the river that flows underground right here under the highway, entitled “She is the Captain”.
Tree Order of Pines
The highway ends at the sea, above Izola. This seaside town is Ariki’s home port. From Izola to Piran salt flats, where Ariki’s home has been for the past 17 years, is only about 10 km. The road mostly runs in the shade of an endless row of old pine trees. Pinia is also known as Italian pine, Mediterranean pine or umbrella pine. It is a coniferous tree from the pine family. It grows along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, but also occurs in southern Europe and the Levant. It is a coniferous tree that grows to a height of 25 m.
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Channel of St. Jernej
In the Channel of St. Jernej nothing has changed. Everything is still the way it was. Our Ariki is also there at the end of the pier. When the car stopped, it seemed to me that it wagged, shuddered. As if he would greet us too. Really, all three of us are happy to be together again.
The last time we untied it from the pier and set sail was two years ago. But today is a special day. Different than the last 700 days. Today we are going sailing. First of all, three things that were waiting at home for this voyage go on the boat: petrol, water and our faithful engine, without which Ariki would be very miserable in the northern Adriatic. In this sea, it is usually the case that the wind always blows from the direction you are going.
Catamaran Cleaning
Then comes deck cleaning. This is quite a large area, with a total square footage of approximately 30 m2. There are 11 covers on the deck. In the gaps between them and on the edges below them, dirt likes to collect, consisting of algae and dust, which the rain has pushed into the gaps and corners. Each cover must be opened and cleaned separately.
The last time the catamaran was cleaned was a year ago. Many kinds of filth have accumulated on him. Even some bird poop is found here and there. These are particularly stubborn. Everything must first be soaked, then scrubbed and finally washed.
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Necessary Boat Equipment for Sailing
When I talk to people about preparing a boat for sailing, I see that they don’t realize how much work is needed to make the boat ready for sailing. The prevailing belief is that it is very simple, that you just get on the boat, untie the ropes and go.
It’s not really like that. When you go out to sea with a boat, all the equipment must be in place. Nothing should be missing. For a one-day trip or for a month of sailing, the boat must be equally equipped and ready. Not only in the middle of the ocean, but also on a day trip near the coast something unexpected can happen.
I remember a day as beautiful as today. Just as suddenly, out of the blue, without warning, a fierce tramontana struck. On the sailboats sailing around the bay, they didn’t even have enough time to lower their sails. The masts all over the bay were put into the water, the sails were ripped and tore. There was a lot of damage. Smaller boats carrying bathers were also swept away. It also tossed around smaller boats with bathers on them. Quite a few such boats ended up on the coast. Material damage to the barges was considerable, but luckily there were no casualties. There were a few bumps and scrapes and one more collective experience.
Tramontana
Let me tell you more about tramontana. This is the most dangerous and probably the strongest wind in the northern Adriatic. It is especially strong right here in the Gulf of Trieste. Here the tramontanas are extremely strong and very short. They only take 10 to 15 minutes. Then the wind quickly calms down and everything is beautiful again.
An hour and a half since our arrival, passed like a blink of an eye. Ariki is all white and sparkling clean ready to sail. The controls are in place, the engine is ready and running, and the shelter is also in place. The sails are ready, everything else is also where it should be. Now we can sail to the sea!
Sailing Without Wind
After a two-year hiatus, the Ariki catamaran set sail again. Yes, sailed even though there is no wind. But, we said we were going sailing and now we are sailing! So what if there is no wind, but the sea is as smooth as a mirror.
However, it is not completely windless. A light breeze blows at a speed of 0 to 0.3 knots. We are only slowly moving towards the middle of the bay.
Beautiful weather and just the right wind for the first sailing. No work, no effort, just lazing around in a wonderful environment.
The sea is empty. There are only so many boats in the whole bay that you can count them on the fingers of one hand. How different from pre-corona times. At that time of year, at the beginning of summer, there were a lot of boats in the bay. Everything was on the water, from small boats, to small and larger sailboats, which spent whole days saling from one side of the bay to the other.
I don’t miss that crowd at all. Today is really the way I wish it was more often. Endless peace and quiet. The sea is as calm as a mirror. Above all, a blue sky without a cloud or lines. In the middle of the blue, the sun is smiling at me.
The day is already turning into the afternoon. It’s getting warmer. In such a light breeze, there is no need to take down the sails and stop the boat. You can lower the steps and go into the water at any time without fear that the catamaran will run away from you.
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Lunch
Matjaž is cooking today. “Hey, what’s for lunch? I’m hungry!”
Aha…spaghetti with Milanese sauce in Matjaž’s style. With carrots instead of meat and something else that doesn’t belong in the original sauce. What we have with us is in the pot. Canned peas have been at Ariki since the year before last. This is how we cook here. We use what we have. We try to make something good out of it. It doesn’t always succeed, but this time it’s really good.
But… where is the table? It seems that we forgot it at home. And we renovated and repainted it so nicely. Fortunately, we forgot only the table. We have everything else! Today we will be without , but next time she will definitely go with us.
Wind After Lunch
The wind blew the sails. The Ariki catamaran sailed at a slightly higher speed than before. Just enough for us. After a two-year break, we don’t feel like experienced sailors, but like beginners, true newcomers. I even forgot the knots. Now I’m thinking about how to tie the basic one, which is used most often. It’s funny, I know. But it’s the truth.
June days are long, the longest of the year. Nevertheless, we have to finish today’s trip. We have to go home. We have work to do tomorrow morning. Not with books. There are no tourists yet. The question is whether anyone will come this year. We are waiting for work in the field.There are many things that need to be done, if you want the pantry to be full.
Ariki needs to be brought into the canal, tied up and put in place. This will take us an hour and a half. Then we still have an hour and a half drive home. This means that we will be home in the evening twilight.
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We are happy to share our stories and experiences with you. See you in the next article, where we will explore new adventures together. Until then, stay curious and smiley!
